The present invention relates in general to breathing equipment and in particular to a new and useful ventable air humidifier for breathing equipment.
A similar ventilation air humidifier is known from German Patent DE-AS 29 00 484. A known ventilation air humidifier has a multilayered vaporization separation membrane in the shape of a hollow fiber bundle. The ventilation air can flow through the single hollow fiber. Each hollow fiber is surrounded by water as the humidifying liquid, which is held in a humidifying chamber whose flexible outer surface is biased by a pressure spring. Due to the pressure generated, an increased amount of steam is pressed in the ventilation air chamber through the semipermeable membrane so that the inhaled ventilation air is enriched with steam.
In the known ventilation air humidifier it is a disadvantage that the degree of humidification depends on the pressure in the ventilation air tube which again is a function of the breathing of the user. If, in the known ventilation air humidifier, the air path pressure increases in the interior of the hollow fiber, the pressure exerted on the humidifying chamber by means of the force of the spring decreases, and less steam from the water supply can be passed on to the ventilation air. Also, as the humidification chamber is permanently under pressure generated by the spring, steam penetrates into the interior of the hollow fibers even if the ventilation air stream is stagnant. As the humidity is not carried away by the ventilation air, condensation occurs on the inside of the hollow fibers. The result is an obstruction of single hollow fibers or even of all fibers. The resulting increase in flow resistance in the ventilation air tube is hindering for the user, and makes breathing entirely impossible.